A dad was shocked when a cheerful airport worker said he had to pay £100 to leave the drop-off zone after picking up his daughter
Manchester: A dad named Lee Mellor was really upset after a trip to the airport turned into a fine fiasco. He was just trying to pick up his daughter from Terminal 3 when he got hit with a £100 charge for stopping in the drop-off area.
Lee, 54, was there to greet his daughter after her ski trip. He parked for about 20 seconds to grab her, but then an airport worker in an orange vest told him he’d have to cough up the hefty fee. Lee couldn’t believe it!
“The guy was smiling, and that just made me more furious,” he said. He pressed the call button at the barrier, hoping to sort it out, but the operator confirmed he had to pay up before leaving.
After some back and forth, the fine was lowered to £60, which Lee reluctantly paid. He felt it was unfair and even thought about calling the police. “It’s been keeping me awake,” he admitted.
Lee was shaking with anger. He felt like the worker was almost proud of catching him out. “If they said it was £1,000, what could I do?” he wondered.
Since July 2018, Manchester Airport has had these drop-off and pick-up fees. Drivers pay different amounts based on how long they stay, but there are fines for those who misuse the system. The airport says it’s to keep traffic flowing smoothly.
An airport spokesperson explained that the drop-off areas are only for dropping off passengers, not picking them up. They want to avoid congestion and have designated pick-up areas instead.
They also mentioned a free shuttle service from their JetParks 1 car park, which runs 24/7 and takes less than six minutes to the terminals. So, there are options, but Lee’s experience left him feeling frustrated.
